One thing I’ve struggled with is that sometimes the insights or convictions I feel God gives me aren’t believed by others. Some agree, others don’t, and some interpret things differently. This can be frustrating because I truly want to honor God and follow His will. But the Bible gives wisdom for this exact situation in Romans 14, which teaches us not to judge others over personal convictions.
> Romans 14:1–4 (NIV)
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.”
> Romans 14:22–23 (NIV)
“So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
Paul’s message shows that each person’s conscience matters. If we believe something is a sin, then to us it is — because we must act in faith and not against our conscience. But we should not impose our personal convictions on others, nor should we despise others for seeing things differently.
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Trusting God to Convict Others
Sometimes, I notice that Christians try to convince or guilt others into following a specific practice because they themselves feel convicted by God in that way. But that doesn’t mean the other person isn’t a true Christian. If we can see the fruit of the Spirit in someone’s life — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — then God is already working in their heart. Our job is not to force our convictions on them, but to trust that God will guide them in His timing and in the ways He knows are right for them.
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My Experience With False Conviction and Fear
There was a time when I started believing that God required me to wear long dresses and skirts below my knees. I only believed that because of a delusion I was having — not because God actually told me that. The delusion was very strong, and at first, it made me think I had to be an example for other women. I thought that if I didn’t wear long skirts, then God would abandon me.
As the delusion continued, it became condemning and filled me with fear and confusion. Eventually, it escalated so much that I ended up in the hospital, convinced that God had condemned me. Looking back, I know now that this was never from God; it was a spiritual attack using fear and confusion to distort what I believed about Him.
After the delusion, I found myself judging other women who didn’t wear long dresses or skirts. I thought they were being disobedient because I was convinced that God had told me to wear them. But that judgment didn’t come from love — it came from the delusion’s fear and pride.
Later, when I recovered and sought God sincerely, He gave me peace and clarity. I had a vision where it seemed like He showed me a mannequin wearing a skirt and a pair of shorts, and it felt like God was showing me what was appropriate for me personally. That vision brought peace and certainty — nothing like the fear and confusion from before. It helped me understand that God wasn’t condemning me; He was guiding me gently, showing me that modesty is about the heart, not about fear or comparison.
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Different Convictions Among Christians
Romans 14 applies to many areas of life, not just clothing. For example, people celebrate holidays differently. Some Christians avoid holidays like Christmas because of pagan origins or because Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th. Others celebrate it as a meaningful way to honor Jesus. Both groups can be truly following God, as shown by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
Some people also associate objects with sin that aren’t inherently sinful. For instance, we were giving out pumpkins once, and someone said they didn’t want one because they don’t celebrate Halloween. While I respected that, I realized that pumpkins themselves aren’t evil; they’re simply part of God’s creation and often used to celebrate the fall season. It only becomes an issue if we attach fear or superstition to it.
I also studied the lunar and solar calendar and tried to determine the fixed Sabbaths based on historical sources, like the Dead Sea Scrolls. I was very passionate about sharing this with others because I believed it was God’s truth. I even became frustrated when people didn’t believe what I believed about dietary laws, Sabbath dates, or other practices. I wanted to prove to them what I had discovered in Scripture. But I realized that, while these things may be important to me, God is ultimately the one who judges hearts. Trying to force others to see it my way only caused frustration and offense.
It’s important to distinguish between morally significant issues and matters of personal conviction. For example, abortion or harming others is clearly wrong. But things like clothing, modesty, or holiday practices are matters of conscience — Paul calls these “disputable matters” in Romans 14. God cares about the heart and the intent behind our actions.
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The Little Mermaid Example
I once saw a woman online who posted that The Little Mermaid was based on the women who lured angels into sin, leading to the birth of the Nephilim — the “giant children” mentioned in Genesis 6. She said mermaids were modeled after those fallen women.
When I looked into it, I couldn’t find anything in Scripture that described half-fish, half-human beings. The story in Genesis 6 talks about fallen angels taking human wives, not mermaids. While some myths or legends share similar themes of temptation, they’re not the same. That experience reminded me how easily people can connect unrelated things and create spiritual fears out of them. It doesn’t mean their heart is wrong — some people are just more cautious, and that’s fine.
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Knowledge and Pride
Sometimes we can become proud when we think we know more than others about what’s right or wrong. The Bible warns us about this:
> 1 Corinthians 8:1 (NIV)
“We know that ‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.”
Even when we are right about something, pride and arrogance make us wrong in spirit. Our goal should never be to prove others wrong, but to show Christ’s love through humility and grace.
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The Heart of It All
Ultimately, what matters most is the heart. God looks at our motives, not just our outward actions. We can wear long dresses or shorter ones, eat certain foods or not, celebrate certain holidays or choose not to — but if we do it out of faith and love for God, He sees and honors that.
The fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — should always guide us. True conviction from the Holy Spirit will never lead to fear, pride, or confusion, but to peace, humility, and compassion for others.
